


Darcy

by maipigen



Series: Darcy Maria Lewis-Stark [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, Developing Romance, Drama, F/M, Feral Behavior, Friendship, Gen, Healing, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Darcy, Sex (eventually), differing chapter length, he's still Jamie guys, protective Jamie aka Bucky, tags to be added as story progresses., varying ages in this. it will jump around a bit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2018-11-30 10:21:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11461605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maipigen/pseuds/maipigen
Summary: Darcy's life in bits and pieces as she tackles growing older and slowly realizing that her best friend is possibly, probably, almost, definitely the love of her life...Also the usual drama happens 'cause no Stark's life is ever easy.





	1. Sixteen Years Old

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm tentatively back with this. I have no idea of how long it's gonna be or how many ages I'm gonna tackle. I do know it won't be chronologically so don't expect that. I'm gonna try and show a developing relationship that I personally adore as well as I can while throwing in plot every once in a while.  
> I just hope I can live up to the massive expectations this has seemed to gather ever since I decided to this way...sigh, very nervous.  
> I'd love a comment or two letting me know it's not a totalt suck fest...  
> Enjoy!

**DARCY**

**Sixteen Years Old**

Darcy Maria Lewis-Stark was annoyed. No, annoyance was too insignificant a word. She was _pissed_. Yeah, pissed was good all-around great word that nicely summed up just how very unhappy she was in that moment.

“Dad,” Darcy practically growled as she all but slammed her spoon down on the kitchen countertop. “I know your whole world is on shaky grounds lately and that you’re fighting with the Avengers again, but come on, Dude…I’m sixteen now, I’m not a kid anymore and denying me my rights is beyond petty on your part. In fact, I’d even say it’s inhumane!”

Tony Stark, Darcy’s tired father, with an air of careless nonchalance more or less draped over him, stood leaned up against the opposite side of the counter and slowly sipped from his jumbo cup of coffee. His expression seemed to waver between sad exhaustion and slight amusement.

“Darce…you not getting your driver’s license the day after your sweet sixteenth is not inhumane. It’s cautiousness from your devoted father, the man, who’s actually driven with you when he was weak-willed and prone to innocence.”

Darcy huffed, got up and threw away the remains of her cereal, not particularly hungry. She wasn’t! She just needed to also like maybe lose about twenty pounds in an effort to catch this guy at school’s attention. So, not hungry, just…okay, her stomach chimed in in that moment and ruined the teenager’s careful lies to herself and her dad’s knowing smile only made it all worse.

“Don’t start!” she ordered and mulishly grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter and chomped down on it angrily. “You’re not allowed to comment on anything seeing as your cruel and unusual punishment is making my teenage life that much harder, Dad. I need wheels and for that to be legal, I need a license. Now, go away.”

Tony chuckled and bent down to plant an affectionate kiss on the top of her dark hair that was so like his before he too grabbed an apple and vanished.

Darcy’s scowl immediately disappeared in her privacy and she placed the half-eaten fruit on the table in front of her. Her expression set into her normal one of worry. A worry that had plagued her ever since the whole Ultron disaster a few months back.

“You did good today,” a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind her. “He actually smiled and took something to eat.”

Turning around, Darcy glanced up at her best friend, who was smiling softly down at her and looking almost proud of her meager success.

“Thanks, Jamie,” Darcy said and held out her arms for a much needed hug, “I know it’s not much given how much he’s been running himself into the ground lately, but damn, I’ll take it. He ate something _and_ smiled today. He hasn’t done that since Pep…since _she_ left.”

Darcy’s voice shook briefly when she almost mentioned the name of the woman she’d considered her mother for years. Then it turned harsh and hateful and she pretended not to notice the sigh that Jamie released even as he wrapped his arms around her in an effort to comfort her as she’d silently begged him to.

“You did good, Kid,” the former assassin merely murmured and Darcy took the comfort that was so readily offered with a tired smile.

**0o0o0**

“…ruined _so_ many lives, I totally get why the other Avengers won’t even touch him anymore.”

The voice sounded nearby and Darcy froze, her entire being focused on what was being said and more importantly how it was being said by one of the people that the Stark heir considered a friend.

Without any hesitation, not caring one iota that Jamie was waiting for her outside after another finished day at Xavier’s school and would probably worry about the delay, Darcy stormed into the rec room to confront her now former friend.

The lights fluttered and out of the corner of her eye, Darcy vaguely noticed how the wires to the huge television burst into flames from the sudden surge of electricity forced through them. She didn’t care that it was the first time since her dad’s former fiancé had left that she’d lost control. Darcy was only focused on confronting the person talking smack about _her_ father!

“You think you’re so smart, huh?” she practically growled and felt a vicious pleasure in seeing her friend, abruptly freeze and flicker when her powers took over. “Kitty, Kitty, Kitty… you should totally try and focus on things that are your business and not things that have _nothing_ to do with you.” Darcy plastered on a mocking smirk that she didn’t need a mirror to know was all Tony Stark. “Of course, knowing you, I know it’s hard what with butting into other people’s relationship and breaking them up by pretending to be such a good little girl…”

“Hey, Stark, you shouldn’t—“

Darcy sent a deathly stare at Kitty’s boyfriend, Bobby, who’d stood silently by until then. His already uncomfortable expression at the vague mention of his earlier relationship with Rogue turned sour when she merely told him to shut up or risk getting melted.

Kitty Pride gulped and Darcy merely raised a brow at her obvious discontent. “Don’t ever talk about my dad again. You don’t know anything. None of you sheep do and I swear if I catch even a hint of you doing anything like this again, I’ll show you just how easy it is to cook someone alive from the inside,” she added coldly to the few people who’d been gossiping about her beloved – and oh so shattered – father.

“Miss Stark, that’s—“

Darcy turned to look at the teacher, Miss Monroe and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Detention for threatening my fellow students, I know. I don’t care. I’ll go right now so it’ll be over with. Just tell Jay outside so he doesn’t worry.”

Without another word, the dark-haired young woman left toward the room that usually housed the other students who’d gotten detention for the day. She didn’t give a fuck about her now ruined status in school; her popularity had never been a thing she’d focused too much on until she’d gotten a major crush on Bobby’s best friend, John.

 _Well, there goes that crush,_ Darcy realized angrily as she burst through the classroom door to the detention room and sat down without a pause. _He just stood there and smirked at Kitty’s words and didn’t even look remotely sorry for being caught gossiping like a little bitch about my family. Well, I don’t need him anyway._

“Wow, perfect Darcy Stark getting a detention as I live and breathe…”

Darcy whipped her head around, feeling ready for anything, only to slump down with tiredness when she recognized the speaker.

Rogue.

It was the one person that was more of a hot topic than she herself was these days. The two young women had never really been close. Rogue was almost a recluse and when she wasn’t spending time with her now former boyfriend, she spent it with Wolverine.

These days though, Rogue was mainly in detention for arguing and then usually trailing behind the ever so scowling visage of Wolverine. It had been like that ever since the whole ‘Cure for Mutants’ had swept the nation, and Rogue had actually _taken_ it. Most of the student body, and even most teachers, had turned their backs on the girl. They’d felt vindicated and victorious when it turned out that said cure wasn’t permanent and it left the formerly powerless Rogue alone completely, caught by her actions and her dangerous powers.

Darcy had never said or done anything against the other female. She’d even briefly entertained the idea of taking the cure herself, but her dad had expressively forbidden it, reminding her that her mother had been a mutant too and he’d never force her to kill off a part of her just to fall in line with the world’s expectations.

“We’re Starks,” he said with a smirk, “the world falls in line with _our_ expectations, Baby-Girl.”

 _We’re actually kind of alike_ , Darcy realized with a start as she stared blankly at the angry girl next to her. _Her best friend is a man way older than her and no one really likes her for her, they’re afraid of her…_

“What are you looking at?” Rogue sneered, looking ready for another fight.

“A bitch like me,” Darcy candidly replied and smiled widely as she held out her hand. She ignored the cautious look the other girl sent her way at her unspoken offer of friendship. Darcy had heard the rumors of Rogue’s powers having intensified after their return, but it wouldn’t stop her from making a new friend.

 _After all_ , Darcy thought with a hint of inwardly shame _, I never really gave her a chance to show me her personality… I’ve used my powers to hurt people before and couldn’t control it and as such should above all else show compassion…_

Finally, after what seemed forever and just as Darcy was about to drop her hand, Rogue leaned forward and gingerly took it in her gloved one.

“We bitches need to stick together.” Rogue commented and Darcy couldn’t help grinning amiably. They were gonna get along just fine.

Suddenly, the classroom door to the detention room was slammed open and every one of the students, plus Logan (who always ‘won’ the right to supervise the misbehaving students much to his chagrin) immediately assumed battle positions, only to gawk at the wild-looking male in the doorway.

Darcy swallowed a curse when she recognized Jamie. He looked _fiercely_ pissed off and she had more than a feeling that Miss Monroe hadn’t in fact done as she’d asked and informed the Winter Soldier about the reason for her tardiness in leaving the school and as such bringing forth…well, _the Winter Soldier_.

Ever since their kidnapping by Hammer years earlier, Jamie had had tendencies to lose himself in the feral persona of the Winter Soldier. He never did it quicker than if he thought something was threatening Darcy.

“Hey Bub, kinda ruining detention,” Logan, the Wolverine practically growled, obviously not liking the look in Jamie’s eyes.

The Soldier ignored the other male and simply scanned the room, every muscle taut with tension and he only relaxed a fraction when he locked eyes with Darcy.

It was obvious for the young woman to see that the Soldier was confused at the lack of expected violence and she swallowed a sigh. A tiny part of her felt flattered at the clear signs of protectiveness her perceived troubles brought him, but she managed to beat it down. Down deep into the locked space where she forced all her rather inappropriate thoughts and impulses.

“Want me to take him out?” Rogue whispered in her ear, only to freeze when her small movement earned her the full intense attention from the Winter Soldier. He looked ready to make sure nothing she ever did again would involve getting off her seat.

Logan growled ferociously over from his now half-crouched position by the desk. His hands sported his very distinctive metal claws and it was pretty obvious to anyone watching that one wrong move against Rogue would result in a very bloody battle.

The Winter Soldier looked very ready to engage accordingly, flexing his metal arm tellingly and Darcy acted before it all exploded into chaos.

“Whoa, it’s cool. Sorry Mr. Wolverino, and Rogue, I’m just gonna take my beloved bodyguard here out for some fresh air. We’ll finish my detention tomorrow, okay? See ya.”

Before anyone could do or say anything else, Darcy unceremoniously walked up to the world’s premier assassin and grabbed his flesh arm and started dragging him back outside to the waiting car.

**0o0o0**

An hour later, Darcy was sitting in her usual place by the kitchen counter in her home in the Tower with her best friend sitting quietly next to her. He was the picture of shame as he fiddled with the sandwich that she’d made and placed before him as soon as they came home.

She knew from experience that being absorbed, even so shortly as this time had been, in the Winter Soldier’s mind used up a lot of energy and he needed to replenish himself so he didn’t wind up passing out on her.

After another few minutes of tense silence, Darcy sighed and gently nudged Jamie’s broad shoulder with her own. “Relax,” she ordered, “nothing happened to anyone this time and we don’t even have to ask Dad to pay damages, it’s all good.”

Jamie’s answering snort was a clear sign of what he thought about that statement and Darcy rolled her eyes before gently grabbing his chin to turn his head in her direction.

“Dude, chill, please. If you weren’t already a super serummed up guy, you’d have an ulcer that could knock out other ulcers with one look. Nothing happened.”

“This time,” Jamie finally muttered. “I didn’t even realize what was happening to me before you calmed me down in the car. I mean, I was worried when you didn’t come at the normal time and then…I decided to go check and I couldn’t find you and some of the other kids were saying things about you and I…I thought you needed me and then I lost control.”

“But nothing happened,” Darcy pointed out, trying not to feel like a broken record in doing so yet again. Then she noticed a glint of something like a mix of shame and satisfaction and asked cautiously, “What are you not telling me?”

“I may have punched the jackass you like so much. He was saying some stuff and it kinda pushed me over the edge…”

The first instinct Darcy had was to groan with disappointment. She suddenly wished she’d seen her best and closest friend beat down the cocky John aka. Pyro, who’d she’d admittedly been pining after more or less obviously over the last few months. He’d talked smack about her dad and as such didn’t deserve any mercy.

Ultimately, Darcy managed to just shrug and surprise Jamie, who’d clearly been expecting some kind of chastiment for his actions.

“No worries,” the vengeful Stark heiress announced, “he’s a dick. Anyway, stop feeling guilty ‘cause nothing happened and even if it had, I can totally take care of myself.”

Jamie’s lips twitched and he looked so devastatingly handsome when the smile turned into a teasing smirk that Darcy had to remind herself that he was her best friend and also saw her as a child.

“I’ll never _not_ worry about you, Darcy Maria Lewis-Stark. You’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.”

Darcy broke into a huge beaming smile that unbeknownst to her, stole the breath out of the assassin’s lungs. “Great, so we’re clear. You will still overreact and try to remember to not freak out about it and I’ll keep reminding you that I get it and that I’m not a little kid anymore that can’t kick some ass all on her lonesome. Deal?”

Jamie raised a brow at the hand she reached out to him just like Rogue had done earlier that day and Darcy bare swallowed a giggle at the similarities.

In the end, Jamie did what he always did. He gave in to Darcy and grasped her hand firmly. “Deal,” his gruff voice replied and they sat there for a long moment not breaking their hold on each other.

Darcy felt an unfamiliar feeling start up inside of her that she didn’t really recognize, but before she could analyze it further, Jamie abruptly let go of her and turned his attention to the elevator that had apparently started up while she hadn’t paid attention.

“FRIDAY, is that Dad?” Darcy asked the A.I. that had replaced her beloved JARVIS after the Ultron disaster that she refused to think about too much or risk breaking down in tears.

The A.I’s chipper feminine voice confirmed her suspicions just as the elevator doors opened soundlessly and emitted Tony Stark.

He looked a little better and Darcy figured it meant the engineer had actually managed a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. She slid her untouched plate of sandwiches over in his direction as he came to a stop in front of them.

“So,” his tone was full of almost forgotten mischievousness and Darcy almost wanted to cry in relief. He was still there deep down. “Mind telling me why I just got a call from a _very_ irate Ororo stating that not only did you skip out of your apparently well-earned detention, but my man, Jamie here is no longer allowed on school ground unsupervised?”

Darcy stiffened and then immediately cursed her reaction. It was a rookie mistake to show guilt in front of her dad, he’d take any weakness from her and probably end up getting her to confess just who it was that had scratched his old motorcycle in the basement that one time. DUMMY had happily taken the blame after she’d pretended to enjoy one of his hazardous smoothies and as such, she would never admit to anything!

Next to her, Jamie had the opposite reaction. He all but slouched over his plate, suddenly very interested in his food.

“Well,” Darcy tried, fighting back a fist bump of victory when she noticed that Tony had unknowingly grabbed her sandwich and was making his way through it with a small smile on his lips. “Maybe she just wanted to chat with you for a bit…I mean, I bet she thinks you’re scrumptious. Right, Jamie?

Jamie stopped chewing to glance incredulously at her before nodding in agreement. “Yeah, scrumptious.” Then he went back to his food and didn’t act like Darcy’s subtle pinch on his thigh hurt all that much.

It did.

Tony on the other hand was grinning widely and Darcy reveled in the sight. “Sure, Baby-Girl,” he relented in his half-hearted interrogation. “The woman always had impeccable taste so I’ll give you that one.” He turned to leave, and just as Darcy thought she was safe, he turned back and crushed her naïve hope as only he ever could.

“Just FYI offspring of mine, next time make sure I can’t hack into your school’s video feed before feeding me a line of bullshit, okay?”

Darcy sighed and gave the only answer she could even as Jamie shook silently beside her in laughter.

“Okay, Dad.”

**0o0o0**

**TBC…**


	2. Fourteen Years Old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie goes out and Darcy doesn't like it. They fight and angst happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya!   
> Welcome back to the loved mess that is Darcy. I'm sorry it took a month, but I had another story that I needed to finish and as such this took a long time...sorry.   
> That said, I've been writing on and off since my last update and finally decided that this version you're getting wouldn't get any better and I'm gonna post before it never sees the light of day due to my insecurities.   
> Good news, it's a solely Jamie and Darcy centered chappie, bad news is that it's not exactly a happy one...oh well, what can I say, I love the angst and drama ;)  
> I hope you enjoy!

**Fourteen Years Old**

Pain, burning agony brushed through every part of her abused body and no matter how much she screamed and cried, the darkened eyes never wavered or showed any hint of its usual kindness. The silver arm reached out and just as it snapped her leg in half, Darcy woke with a choked off scream and tears running down her flushed face.

“Everything is okay, Miss Darcy,” JARVIS’ soothing voice slowly registered in the panicked teenager’s mind, “You’re in Stark Tower in New York City. It is 01.00 a.m. in the morning and all is well.”

Darcy panted and placed her hands firmly on her developing chest to try and calm down her wildly beating heart. It took a few long moments before it turned normal and she sighed with frustration and lay back down on her rumbled bed with a groan.

“It has been a while since your last night terror,” JARVIS said in his usual calm tone that never failed to relax Darcy, “may I inquire as to the reason for tonight’s episode?”

Biting her lip worriedly, Darcy took a few seconds to answer. In the meantime, she sat back up and reached down to put on her adorable DUM-E themed slippers that her dad had made for her for her birthday the month before. Finally, she looked up at the ceiling where one of JARVIS’ sensors was displayed and spoke.

“You already know why this happened, Jay, let’s not pretend otherwise…”

JARVIS gave a sound that in a human could’ve almost been a sigh, “I believe I do Miss Darcy. Shall I prepare your usual post nightmare ritual?”

Grinning softly, Darcy nodded and got to her feet. She expertly ignored the slight twinge in her once broken leg; she’d finally gotten the cast and screws and whatnot out a few months back, but according to her Dr. Hulk, it’d be a long while before the pain fully subsided.

The dark-haired Stark heiress slowly made her way out to the kitchen area where she could already smell JARVIS’ wonderfully addictive Chocolate Coffee brewing. It was the only thing she could keep down after she woke up like she’d just done and most nights she found herself falling asleep soon after drinking it and being carried back to bed by a very gentle Jamie, whose eyes always shone with regret over what he’d put her through.

 _Jamie_ …

The thought of her best friend and bodyguard stopped Darcy in her tracks, halfway through the living room area to the open kitchen. It was because of him she was having nightmares and there was no denying that, but this time it happened because they’d had an argument before she’d locked herself in her room to sleep like the moody teenager she was.

It was like her inner self just couldn’t sleep peacefully when she was mid-conflict with someone, least of all the dark-haired former Winter Soldier.

It had started innocently enough, Darcy reckoned as she started walking again toward the beckoning divineness that was her chocolate coffee. Darcy had been finishing her homework and waiting for Jamie’s approval on the essay she wrote on World War Two for history class.

When he’d arrived from doing some training on his own, Jamie had looked very different then what the teenager was used to. In fact, it made that girlish part of her that she seldom acknowledged flutter excessively before she got it under control.

Once again in control of her actions, Darcy eyed the changes. For once, Jamie had apparently made an effort to look nice. He was freshly showered, his long hair tied into a casual bun revealing his handsome and slightly stubbled face. He was wearing a pair of very well-fitted jeans and a long sleeved Henley that hid his very recognizable arm even if he was wearing the skin prosthetic that her dad had made for him to better blend in.

Overall he was looking very nice and Darcy didn’t like it.

“Why are you all dressed up?” she asked, already having an inkling as to her friend’s answer.

Jamie’s grin was a tad too innocent to be believed and Darcy suddenly wanted to hit something when he answered her, “Me n’ Stevie and Sam are going to a bar and have some fun.”

“Fun, _right_ ,” Darcy muttered, packing her things together. “Like I don’t know that’s a euphemism for getting laid. I’m not stupid.”

Frowning at her tone and her words, Jamie came closer and sat down next to her on the couch. “What’s up, Kid? Don’t –“

“I’m not a damn kid!” Darcy yelled and abandoned her things to jump to her feet and glare at Jamie, whose good mood quickly transformed into anger as he followed suit, towering over her.

“Then stop acting like one! I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Darcy, but I don’t like it.” Jamie practically growled.

Darcy didn’t care, she was suddenly overwhelmed with anger that she couldn’t quite explain or justify. Jamie didn’t belong to her and was free to do what he wanted, but it galled her to think of him sauntering off with his buddies to a bar where he undoubtedly would pick up some chick. It pissed her off, and not just because she still had issues with him reconnecting with the Captain, however tentatively it was.

“Fine, go bang some slut and try needlessly to get drunk, see if I care how you’re embarrassing yourself!”

“Go to your room!” Jamie hissed and, instead of staying to argue some more, the man simply spun on his heels and stomped angrily out the door while Darcy ran to her bedroom and slammed and locked the door.

Now, several hours later, Darcy knew she’d acted very immaturely; Jamie had been right that she’d acted like a kid.

 _But I just didn’t like him going out like that,_ Darcy tried to justify to herself as she sipped gingerly at the hot beverage in her hands. _He’s never done that before and…what if he finds someone he likes enough to leave me behind?_

The very thought of not having Jamie as her constant companion twisted Darcy’s gut in ways she hadn’t experienced before. The only time she’d felt something remotely similar was that one time she’d mistaken her dad’s words and thought he wanted to get rid of her. It was not a pleasant sensation to say the least.

JARVIS’ voice suddenly sounded in the darkened kitchen and that was the only warning Darcy got before she realized that Jamie had returned.

“Welcome back, Sergeant Barnes.”

Jamie nodded at the ceiling briefly before he realized she was sitting in the kitchen. His keen eyes instantly took in the cup in her hand and knew what it meant. It was too dark to see clearly, but Darcy thought she saw something like regret flash through his eyes before they turned blank and cool again.

“I thought you’d be sleeping by now,” Jamie commented and slowly walked closer. As he drew nearer, Darcy clocked the difference in him from earlier that night and felt her previous anger bubble back to the surface.

His hair was still up, but now it was in a loose ponytail that had clearly been a repair job. Someone probably ruffled his hair enough for the bun to loosen, Darcy figured as she scanned his overall appearance closer. His clothes looked ruffled too, and then, as he came to a stop on the opposite side of the breakfast counter, Darcy’s nose couldn’t help but notice the smell of a very potent perfume that was stuck to his skin, along with another very familiar smell of sex that she didn’t particularly enjoyed being reminded of.

In her experience, sex had nothing good to bring and she hated how it seemed like Jamie was a slave to his urges just like the many men that had forced themselves on her before she’d found her dad again.

“You _stink_. I hope you used protection ‘cause I doubt she was completely clean if she was that easy. One can never be too careful.” Darcy remarked nastily, completely ignoring Jamie’s words and took a long sip of her now half-cold beverage.

The former soldier’s face darkened and there was a flush to his face that could either be embarrassment or anger. Darcy figured it was a little bit of both, but didn’t get a chance to ponder on the subject any longer because Jamie’s temper seemed to snap in a way she’d never previously seen.

“What I do in my own time and with whom, is absolutely none of your business, Little Girl! Stop acting like you fucking own me and start spending time with people your own age that aren’t on your father’s pay-list!”

He slammed both hands down on the counter as he roared and leaned forward enough that he once again towered over Darcy’s much smaller frame and suddenly, it was all too much for her to handle. Maybe it was due to the fresh memories her nightmare had brought forth, maybe it was the closeness of Jamie’s furious form and maybe it was the smell of sweat and sex. Whatever it was, it caused Darcy to regress back into such a fearful state that she hadn’t had since she’d been diagnosed with a severe case of PTSD that could rival even her father’s.

Darcy jolted out of her seat with a high-pitched whimper and nearly fell backwards before she caught her balance and then she felt two arms wrap themselves around her and she felt like everything was coming in on her, drowning her with darkness and she couldn’t _breathe_!

“Don’t touch me,” she pushed past her tensed mouth and tried wriggling out of the tight hold she suddenly found herself in. Vaguely, as if from a long distance away, Darcy realized that the lights were flickering and that someone was whispering frantically in her ear.

“Oh God no, no, no, no, Darce, breathe for Christ’s sake; I didn’t mean to….no, no, _please_ …”

Finally, Darcy succeeded in wrenching herself free from her capturer and with a sob of pure relief; she managed to barricade her in her room. Instinctively, Darcy ran to her safe place; her closet.  

Ever since the beginning her closet in her bedroom at Avengers Tower had been a haven for the youngest Stark, and it had only become even more so when her dad had recognized her feelings and made it virtually impenetrable. It had been Jamie’s chosen spot to sleep when he’d first arrived, the only place he felt safe enough to actually let his guard down and rest. It was just another thing that had bonded them together back when they’d first gotten to know each other.

In that moment, however, Darcy didn’t care about any of that. All she wanted was a safe space, free of unwanted touches and suffocating air.

A few seconds later, Darcy had instigated the lockdown procedure she and her dad had installed and she was hidden under the numerous blankets and pillows she usually only used when she needed a private place to read or relax.

It didn’t take long before there was a gentle knocking on the locked entrance, but Darcy knew from experience no one could enter without causing severe property damage and as such activating JARVIS’ protective side.

“Miss Darcy,” the A.I. spoke almost unerringly softly and not at all artificially like some people thought him to be, “Sergeant Barnes is requesting permission to enter. He appears most distressed.”

One part of Darcy absolutely hated the idea of her beloved friend, her closest confidant being in pain, but the rest of her was still halfway trapped in that horrifying cage of fear that she never seemed able to escape when she once again became aware of it. Her expression must have told her inner struggle because JARVIS didn’t open the closet slash panic-room door.

“I have opened a line of communication so you may talk if you so desire, Miss Darcy.”

Darcy didn’t get a chance to accept or deny the offer before Jamie’s usually so smooth voice sounded all around her, hoarse and timid in a way she’d rarely heard it before.

“Darce, please let me in. I need to see you; I’m sorry for scaring you. I didn’t _think_ …Please Darcy.”

Unable to make up her mind and not really willing to chance another close encounter, Darcy simply pretended not to hear the continuous pleas from the other side of her little cocooned safe haven and focused on regaining her sense of self-control. She used all the breathing exercises that Dr. Hulk had taught her and imagined being in her favorite place, which was and would always, be by her dad’s side in his lab.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Darcy opened her eyes from her meditative state and slowly began unearthing herself from underneath her blankets. She was exhausted, but too scared to sleep and risk another nightmare. Jamie’s roar still echoing in her mind coupled with the fresh memory of his torture was probably not a great combo for a peaceful sleep, she figured.

As soon as she became fully aware again, Darcy noticed that Jamie was still talking to her. He was repeating his apologizes with a more and more defeated tone as if he had given up on ever earning her forgiveness for yet another unforgivable transgression against her.

Darcy knew differently and she cursed her mental issues for popping up in the middle of things. She’d been a brat there was no denying it, not even to herself and she had to be ready to face the consequences of that. Jamie had probably overreacted a bit, but she guessed that he’d probably tried a lot more eagerly to get drunk after their first fight before he left for the bar so she automatically gave the man a pass.

 _Okay_ , she thought with growing annoyance at herself, _if I know that I completely freaked out over nothing and that Jamie only snapped because I acted like a little spoiled brat why am I still sitting here and not opening the door so we can clear the air? Why am I not even speaking? Why is my heart pounding when I know I’ve got nothing to be afraid of? Snap out of it, Stark and face your fears before you ruin the best friendship you’ve ever had!_

Even with that internal pep talk, it took another long moment before Darcy nodded up at the blinking light above the door that she knew was JARVIS keeping an eye on her. As she’d known the A.I. would, JARVIS immediately opened the door and revealed a pale-looking Jamie kneeling right in front of it with such a look of guilt etched on his face that it could’ve caused a war to end or something to that affect.

The expression on his face, when he realized that the door was finally open, was one of such relief and worried caution that Darcy could scarcely bear to look at him.  

Out of the corner of her averted eye, Darcy saw the moment that Jamie opened his mouth and hurried to interject before he got a chance to speak again.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, feeling a sense of accomplishment that she’d managed to get the words out.

There was a brief pause and she chanced a glance up at the now quiet man and saw that he looked utterly dumbfounded by her words. She frowned with confusion. She’d acted horribly and as such needed to apologize so he didn’t realize just what a hassle she really was and left her behind.

“What the hell do you have to apologize for?”

Okay, apparently we’re not seeing eye to eye on this whole issue, Darcy mentally rolled her eyes, only to swallow back a curse when she flinched as soon as Jamie started crawling closer.

The large man immediately froze, once again looking so sad that Darcy kinda wanted to hug him.

“ _Please_ don’t shy away from me,” Jamie begged and sat back on his haunches, looking almost weary in his guilt. “I just wanted to make you see that you didn’t need to apologize; I do on the other hand. I just wanted to hold you, but I understand if I’m scaring you after how I handled things tonight…”

Darcy couldn’t stand how broken Jamie looked and before her mind could caution her, she let her instincts take over and catapulted herself into his arms that no longer felt like a prison trying to pin her down and choke the light out of her, but like the peaceful refuge they usually did.

“I shouldn’t have talked like that to you,” she muttered, trying in vain to find a spot on him that didn’t reek of where he’d been or what he’d been doing. “I guess I didn’t like the idea of someone taking you away from me…”

Jamie’s whole body shook as he chuckled and squeezed her tighter. “Kiddo, if not even Steve can pull me away from you, whatever gave you the idea I’d let some dame do it?”

“Careful there Jamie,” Darcy snarked, unsuccessfully hiding her pleasure at his words, “your forties are showing.”

The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a while before Jamie sighed and held out Darcy so he could look into her still red-rimmed eyes. “I’m sorry for scaring you tonight. I forgot myself and it never should’ve happened, especially since I could see that you’d had a rough night already. Won’t happen again, I promise.”

Darcy smiled sadly and shrugged off his apology. “Don’t sweat it, Jamie. I’m a teenager; I bet it won’t be the last time we clash. I’m just sorry that my weak mind couldn’t handle one little confrontation…”

“Don’t,” Jamie ordered softly, “don’t ever minimize what you’ve been through. Take it from someone whose mind is riddled with problems; you’re anything but weak, Miss Stark. Now,” he put on a forced smile that was easy to see through but Darcy was willing to give him credit for trying, “let’s get you back to bed before JARVIS tells Tony and Pepper what happened so I can flee to safety before they wake up.”

Shaking her head with amusement, Darcy smiled. “Seriously, Dude, do you think for a second that Dad doesn’t already know? I bet he’s gonna be up and ready to glare at you for the rest of the week while coddling me half to death. Isn’t that right, Jay?”

JARVIS’ confirmation was prompt and Jamie sighed, knowing he’d need to make another apology before going to sleep.

“Oh,” Darcy stopped on her way out of the closet and looked back down on his still kneeling form, “you still stink so take a shower if you ever want to hug me again. Night, Jamie.”

Jamie did the only thing he could do; he laughed and hurried to follow orders while trying not to feel too limp-legged with relief that he hadn’t screwed everything up just because he'd wanted to bury his dick in someone for a while.

**0o0o0**

**TBC…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to all those people who've commented, kudos'ed and bookmarked. I'm glad so many seemed happy to see more of my little Darcy.   
> Thanks for joining me in my madness. I hope this chapter didn't let you down.  
> Until Next Time!  
> p.s. any massive grammar issues is solely on me as I have no beta or anything, but if you find something truly horrible, let me know so I can fix it, please :)


	3. Fifteen Years Old

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait. I wish I could give a good reason for it. Well, I've managed to finally land a decent job but the hours are crazy so energy for writing is at an all time low. I much prefer reading to writing these days. Also, I kinda lost interest in the fandom for a bit and I've dabbled with this stupid chapter for months and it's still not that great, but I'm finally completely over it and decided you needed this before Xmas. Consider it the gift you kinda have to like from that weird Aunt who's been told for years to just give you some cash but still shows up with a handknit sweater and a proud smile.   
> Okay?   
> So...next chapter, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna age Darcy a bit 'cause I think it's time to try my hand at sexual tension ( no sex though, not yet *cackles*).  
> Anyway, sorry for the wait and the grammar issues but I hope you'll at least understand that I've tried :D   
> Enjoy!

**Fifteen Years Old**

Darcy Maria Lewis-Stark was not a person that held grudges. She was not one to stay locked in the past and linger on stuff that she couldn’t change anyhow.  She’d learned that the hard way ever since being kidnapped from her crib as a mere toddler.

That said, there was no denying that Darcy’s feelings on Captain America and the other Avengers were _complicated_.

Ever since Jamie and she had been grabbed out of her dad’s car on the way home from school on Justin Hammer’s orders, Darcy had pretty much refused to speak to the American Icon.

Why, you ask?

Darcy had soon realized, in the midst of therapy sessions and assisted-by-JARVIS eavesdropping, that the Captain had played a part in her latest (and hopefully last!) kidnapping. It didn’t matter to the brunette Stark heiress that the Captain’s involvement had been entirely accidental.

It had been just one more nail in the coffin that was their tumultuous relationship.

After the ULTRON debacle, things had turned even sourer between them. The Captain and the remaining Avengers had once again proven just how little they thought of her dad and Darcy was nothing if not protective.

It had been utter luck that Darcy hadn’t been around when the whole thing blew up in their faces. She’d been on a study trip abroad with some of the other top students at Xavier’s school. Jamie had been her loyal shadow and thus hadn’t been around to make sure that the Avengers realized just how stupid they were acting.

 _But I’m back now_ , Darcy thought determinedly as she made her way into the Compound that now housed the rest of the Avengers. Her entire being practically screamed fury and it was only the fact that she’d spent a lot of time on control that none of the light fixtures exploded in her presence.

Darcy had returned as quickly as she’d been able after the news about ULTRON and Sokovia hit the public. JARVIS’ lack of response on her personal computer tablet scaring her more than any news on the TV could. JARVIS always had time for her. _Always_.

Jamie had stayed right by her side and scared people into doing what she wanted when she more or less bullied her way home, abandoning her classmates and teachers without much thought. For once, the Stark child completely abused her father’s riches and his saying of, ‘money buys you everything if you’re willing to pay.’

Darcy was _very_ willing.

As soon as Darcy had returned home and found the wreck that was her father, nothing else mattered. She spent all of her time trying to get him to eat and sleep enough that he didn’t croak on her. Jamie used his own abilities and contacts, trying to figure out what had really happened while all of that took her attention.

So worried was she, that it took Darcy a few days to realize that not only was Dr. Hulk nowhere to be found, but neither was Pepper.

JARVIS’ absence had been explained in a hoarse voice by her father, looking as if his grief was about to choke him and Darcy couldn’t think about that yet because she didn’t have the luxury of time to mourn right now.  Not even if her own sorrow felt as if it was crushing her from the inside out.

Pepper’s disappearing act _hurt_. It hurt Darcy into her very core and when she’d called her mother figure to demand answers and gotten a vague run around and lame excuses about not being able to handle the worry anymore, Darcy wrote the red-head off with a scathing farewell remark and a wish to never see the woman again.

Now, nearly a month after the whole mess had ended, Darcy finally decided to go address some very important things. That was the reason for her impromptu trip to the Compound.

Jamie was behind her, bleeding through the shadows as if he wasn’t really there. She’d tried to order him to stay with her dad in case anything happened, but the former assassin had simply looked at her until she realized just how stupid her ‘suggestion’ was.

Soon, Darcy found herself standing in the doorway to a large common area where she could hear several people’s laughter and cheerfulness. It grated on the brunette’s frayed nerves and it took a lot to not just zap them all into oblivion.

Darcy stared silently at the people her father had once called friends. Sure, she knew their friendship had been rather one sided and pretty much nothing but arguments as long as she’d been around, but still. Tony Stark had cared deeply for his teammates. He still did, of that the younger Stark had no doubt.

All of that was fine and acceptable in Darcy’s furious mind. What she couldn’t grasp, no matter how much she tried, was the fact that her father’s tormenter was now a part of the team and on said team was her dad’s best friend.

As her eyes landed on him, Rhodey broke into a grin that de-aged him at least a decade. He was goofing around with Hawkeye, who in turn was chatting amiably with the two people that Darcy could honestly say she hated.

The Captain and the Witch.

Putting what she considered a betrayal of her father by her father’s supposed best friend out of her mind for the time being, Darcy’s full attention zeroed in on the duo.

It took a little bit for her to be noticed. Frankly, it took a lot longer than the teenager had accounted for in her planning seeing as she’d just stormed into the stronghold of one of the Earth’s best fighters completely unannounced.

Finally, though, her Glare of Death seemed to penetrate the Captain’s skull and he turned his head a bit to look around. He froze momentarily when his gaze landed on her angry visage in the doorway.

“Darcy!”

It was Rhodey’s voice that brought her arrival to the others’ notice, but one quick look at the dark-skinned man quickly had his cheerful expression falter into one of cautious worry.

 _Oh yeah_ , Darcy thought _, I’ll deal with you later and now you know it, Mister._

“Miss Stark,” the Captain spoke after a brief pause, forcing Darcy’s full attention back on him much to his team-mate’s unvoiced relief. “What can we do for you today?”

Darcy’s lips twisted into a smile that was every inch her father’s and she crossed her arms as she leaned against the doorway with a faked air of utter nonchalance. “Well,” she began calmly, “what you can do for me is really quite simple, Big Boy. You can tell me why in the _Hell_ you’ve taken in Little Miss Psycho Mind-Molester over there after all she’s done when neither of you douchebags can ever seem to grant my dad a smidge of your oh-so-powerful-forgiveness?”

Pausing for a second, Darcy added bitterly, “Not that he needs it since he’s done nothing wrong unlike the crazy one there.”

The Witch froze angrily at her jibes and Darcy reveled in seeing the other girl’s fury. Darcy had seen the footage and drawn her own conclusions. She’d compiled a lot of research, trying to find a way to get her dad back from the black pit of despair he’d crawled into following the ULTRON mess.

 _Also_ , Darcy thought darkly, _that bitch helped kill JARVIS_.

That last bit was completely unforgivable. Darcy had loved the A.I and considered him a protective older brother with enough snark and sass to sate even her cravings. The Stark Heiress still could barely look at Vision and not flinch – especially when he opened his mouth and JARVIS’ voice would come out.

“Miss Stark, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t come in here and spew filth. Wanda is our friend and she regrets her part in ULTRON’s rise to power.”

Darcy raised a brow at the Captain’s words and straightened up to face him fully. Her incredulity was practically pouring out of her. “Regrets? I very much doubt she regrets making sure my dad is no longer an active member of the team. Well…” Darcy amended with an edge of poison in her tone that caused the much bigger male to flinch, “consulting member seeing as he’s never been a full time member since my kidnapping.”

The Witch, Wanda sneered. “Why does Stark send a little girl to fight his battles? Too big of a coward to face one of his victims, is he?”

“Okay, first of all,” Darcy matched Wanda’s sneer and added some simple but effective disgust just to make it clear how she _really_ felt, “ _you_ need to shut up before I make you eat those words and secondly, Dad doesn’t know I’m here. Honestly, I doubt he’s even realized I’ve left the Tower as I haven’t gotten him out of his lab in days.”

“He okay?” Rhodey asked and Darcy ignored him. If he was so concerned, he knew where to find Tony.

Darcy continued as if nobody had spoken, her eyes firmly locked on Wanda’s. “You’re insane if you think a little boohoo and ‘me so sowwy’ is enough to earn the forgiveness of anyone but the gullible idiots next to you. You deserve to rot in jail for what you’ve done, but it’s none of my business. What _is_ my business though, is the fact that no one on this ‘Team’ is concerned about the member who bankrolls them. I do not want to see her in this place my dad’s built for unity and teamwork. It’d be a mockery and so, acting as the current available Stark and owner. Throw the backstabbing Witch out of here or you’re _all_ evicted.”

A red mist seemed to form around Wanda’s whole body as her fury manifested physically and Darcy fell into a defensive stance just in case.

She needn’t have worried. The second that Wanda went from stewing in rage and acting upon said anger toward Darcy, a lean metal arm was around her neck, choking her into unconsciousness with brutal efficiency.

“Bucky!”

The former assassin barely glanced at his childhood best friend before he unceremoniously dropped the unconscious woman in his arms on the floor and turned toward Darcy.

“Your smart mouth will get you killed some day and I can’t be there all the time to protect you, you know.” His tone was gruff and spoken in his usual hoarse tone, but there was a sparkle of humor in his eyes that told the Stark girl that he’d damned well give it his best shot though.

“Aww, Jamie,” Darcy grinned and put on an exaggerated pout. “I’ll try to contain myself in the future, but you know it’s so hard when I talk to imbeciles.”

Hawkeye scoffed with offence and it was only the Black Widow’s hand on his arm that stopped him from starting something that Darcy was fully prepared to finish. Rhodey only looked down at the ground as if hiding a smile. The Captain’s look of outrage was enough to distract the brunette from finding out whether or not her dad’s friend wasn’t entirely lost to him and she looked up at the much larger male.

“Dude,” she started, “I’m pretty sure I’ve explained over the years why you and I will _never_ be best buds, so stop acting like you control even one part of me and kindly do as I asked. Kick the crazy red-head out…” Darcy paused, glanced Natasha’s way and added, “Well that _newbie_ red-head anyway. I don’t care what you do with the other one.”

“Bucky, this behavior is why I can’t believe you’re siding with her. She’s an immature child and needs to stop acting like everything I do is somehow aimed to put pain on her.”

Jamie just looked at the man he’d once called Stevie and had loved like a brother. He then shrugged, knowing that whatever he said it wouldn’t matter. He’d tried more than once to mend fences between the Starks and the Avengers without any luck whatsoever.

The Captain didn’t seem to like his friend’s mute reply because he frowned with disappointment etched into every pore of his face. “I expected more of you than being a young girl’s lapdog, Bucky.”

For one long moment, there was silence. Darcy then gasped and drew in breath to lay into the National Icon a little more harshly, but never got a chance before Jamie stepped a little closer to her side and quietly began leading them both out the way they’d come.

Just before they left the Avengers behind, Jamie then turned back to gaze sadly at the Captain, whose expression now looked rather constipated before he paled at Jamie’s words.

“I expected more of you than being a young girl’s lapdog, Stevie. I guess it’s a good thing we both died and grew new families before we realized that about each other…Come on, Darce.”

For once, Darcy couldn’t think of anything else to say. She simply grabbed Jamie’s metal hand and gave it a comforting squeeze and then the duo left as silently as they’d arrived.

**0o0o0**

**TBC…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a merry Xmas and Happy New Year from your crazy aunt ;) 
> 
>  
> 
> PS. I am sorry I'm sort of bashing the team here but just rewatched Civil War and...well, it brings stuff out in me but I'll try to redeem them...eventually... :D


	4. Seventeen Years Old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy follows Rogue into trouble, lives up to her last name andthoroughly befuddles Jamie as a result.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG!!! It's been soooo long since my last update and I have to admit that I've had all but the last bit finished for almost two months... Lack of motivation, fear of failure to live up to expectations and overall hugely busy schedule and even more busy private life have made me an absolute update failure.   
> Sorry! I only hope this chapter will make you feel like it was worth the (yikes) nearly 4 months wait!!!!!

 

**Seventeen Years Old**

Darcy was in trouble. Well, not Trouble that would require Iron Man and Co. to come dashing to her rescue, but trouble none the less.

It all started because she’d decided to cheer up her best girlfriend (her only female friend, but she’d still consider Roque her bestie regardless).

Rogue had slowly but steadily become Darcy’s best friend her own age, and, since the day they’d connected in detention, neither of them had gone back to their old circles. At Xavier’s school it was now impossible to see one girl without the other and they’d told each other their deepest secrets and desires.

That was the reason that Darcy knew that she needed to cheer up her friend.

Well, that and the fact that she too needed to let off some steam.

Rogue had barreled into the library where Darcy was finishing up a grueling essay about some long-forgotten historic event that ultimately didn’t change a thing in the world and announced that she _loathed_ Logan.

Darcy, knowing from many girl-time sessions just how much Rogue _didn’t_ in fact loathe the grumpy Wolverine, merely raised a brow at the drama.

Rolling her eyes, the older mutant had gone on to explain that she’d overheard Logan telling Miss Monroe that he couldn’t take on his usual night time watch as he was expected in some bar to meet up with some woman he’d met and wanted to get to know better.

“Which means in Logan speak that he’s gonna try and sex her up,” Rogue then finished angrily, a hint of hurt on her face that she’d only let Darcy see. Then it had transformed into pure determination. “I don’t even care,” she continued, “’cause I’ve gotten us invites to ‘nother thing instead that’s gonna _blow_ your mind.”

And, so, later that night, Darcy somehow managed to find herself at a college frat party.

The two young women had used all of their combined smarts and cunning to convince Tony that Darcy wanted to have a sleep-over with her friend; that she _needed_ to feel normal for once. Jamie had been convinced to leave them be at the school until the next day. Tony had unknowingly helped them with that by asking Jamie to spend his unexpected free time by getting a much needed tune up on his arm.

Darcy had swallowed the guilt for lying to her closest friend when she’d waved him off that afternoon when he driven back to the tower.

Some odd hours later, the young Stark kinda wished the men in her life hadn’t trusted her quite so much as she’d really like to be anywhere but at the stupid party.

It hadn’t taken long for the excitement of a new experience to die down. The loud booming music and gyrating bodies awash with enough alcohol to fill the Grand Canyon coupled with the obnoxious attempts at flirting the males threw in the two younger girls’ direction without any encouragement helped it die rather swiftly.

The Stark heiress just wanted to leave and try to salvage whatever was left of her night, but there were two pretty big problems with that desire. One, she’d lied to her father and Jamie. She’d broken their trust and knew that if she was ever found out she’d need a miracle to regain it.

The second, and admittedly larger problem, was the fact that Rogue wasn’t feeling disappointed by the party at _all_. She’d jumped into it as soon as they’d arrived and was already more than a little tipsy, spending most of her time near the crowded area where the booze was set up.

“Okay Stark,” Darcy whispered determinedly as she finally decided to try getting her friend to leave with her, “this is not the worst thing you’ve ever done. Just get moving.”

With one last fortifying breath, the brunette teenager made her way into the small crowd of people where in the middle she could find her friend.

Rogue’s eyes lit up when she spotted her and Darcy had to fake a smile at the cheerful welcome she received. “Hiya Bestie! I was gonna come look for ya, but then these nice hunks offered me some beer and well…I _didn’t_. Hehehe.”

“I noticed,” said Darcy, eyeing the small group of males that was crowding her friend and making no secret of their intentions to get the girl drunk enough for them to touch.

 _Well, bully for them,_ Darcy thought, _one touch and it’s bye bye for them and hello headache for Rogue. It’s only when she really concentrates that she’s able to control her powers and with that much alcohol in her system, I doubt she can even try to focus on not being poisonous_.

“Rogue, I wanna go home. Come on.”

The slightly older mutant rolled her eyes, and emptied her red plastic cup before turning fully to face Darcy. When she spoke, her voice was a blend of mockery and genuine curiosity. “Why are you so eager to leave? I mean, it’s not like your prison guard will ever know what’s going on tonight. He’s too busy getting updated by Tony effing Stark, right? He needs time off too and I bet he’s gonna enjoy the rest of his night by going out and spending time with a woman who’s _not_ underage.”

The words pulled up a picture inside of Darcy’s mind that she never liked to see. Jamie dressed to the nines and going out. Once they’d argued ferociously about him having sex and Darcy had never quite put a name to the feelings she had because of her friend getting laid. She only knew that to this day, she vehemently disliked the idea.

Her already low mood soured further and Rogue continued as if pressing an invisible advantage only she could see.

“Come on, Stark. Don’t be such a goody two-shoes.  Don’t act like such a stuck up snob just because your paid bodyguard acts like he likes you unlike mine does. We’re here to have fun! Right, boys?”

Rogue turned to face her new “friends”, who were already holding out fresh cups of beer.

For one brief second, Darcy was nearly overwhelmed by the hurt that Rogue’s words caused. Never, not once since they’d grown a friendship during detention had Rogue talked to her as if her behavior and overall life was anything but acceptable.

Then the words registered fully and Darcy realized that her friend was _right_. She’d spent most of her time with Jamie since he entered her life. It wasn’t healthy and despite what she pretended sometimes, Jamie _did_ receive a salary for sticking around her all the time. He wasn’t hovering on the outskirts of her life like Wolverine did to Rogue, all on his own merit.

The thought did something to Darcy’s insides and instead of slapping Rogue back to her senses like she halfway wanted to, she stole the fresh cup of beer out of her hands and downed it in seconds.

Things turned a little blurry after that.

Darcy laughed, danced and on one occasion even grinded a bit with Rogue on the crowded floor. The music was still deafening and the smell of all the people in such a smallish space was also getting less attractive by the minute, but after alcohol had entered the equation, the Stark teenager didn’t care all that much anymore.

She was having _fun_!

A couple of hours later, or more, Darcy didn’t know or care to find out, she was in the middle of dancing rather provocatively with some goofy-looking dude and sandwiching him with the help of a rather dizzy-looking Rogue. Suddenly, the music cut out and Darcy quickly realized it wasn’t a power outage when she felt the electricity in the house still brimming with life.

The crowd had turned deadly silent, and Darcy blinked out of checking the house and slowly turned to follow her no longer goofy-looking dance partner’s pale stare.

_Holy shit…_

Darcy’s thought was echoed by a meek-sounding Rogue behind her, whispered quietly in the icy silence as Jamie’s unexpected arrival registered.

The silence of the people around her made perfect sense as her drunken gaze lingered on the new arrival, standing immobile in the doorway, emanating a mix between rage and danger. For once, Jamie completely encompassed his more public name. He wasn’t Jamie right now, dressed in a tight black shirt and pants that left his arms bared, showing off the left one that the man barely let anyone but her see these days.

The people automatically gave the silent alpha male a wide berth, slowly backing away as the man in question stood in the doorway, his dark eyes burning their ways into what felt like Darcy’s soul as he kept staring intensely at her.

Finally, after what felt like eons, Jamie opened his mouth and Darcy flinched.

“We’re going home. Take Rogue before she pukes on the boy behind you and let’s go. _Now_.”

For once, not even a spark of defiance at the brusque order entered Darcy’s mind. Instead, she did as commanded and grabbed a green hued Rogue’s shaking hand and dragged her with her toward the still unmoving Winter Soldier.

As they made their way past him, Darcy heard him address the remaining party goers with a growl-like tone in his voice. “Party’s over kids.”

It spoke of Jamie’s charisma and aura in that moment that no one even dared to protest. Darcy didn’t feel the least bit proud of his calm authority as she usually would have because in the next moment, her attention flew to Rogue, who suddenly whimpered and bent forward to throw up.

In between her heaving breaths for air, Rogue mumbled something that Darcy thought vaguely familiar, but it wasn’t until Jamie came up to them and spoke that she realized what had set off her friend.

“Yup, Logan’s here too, but judging from the look of horror in your eyes, I guess you’ve already noticed him.”

Darcy frowned, feeling rather put out that her drunkenness hadn’t abated enough for her to scan and process her surroundings fully. Her training in observational awareness was apparently useless when her system was compromised by liquor.

“Oh,” Darcy sighed tiredly, with a hint of worry, when she finally spotted Logan across the street, standing next to the black truck he always fiddled with whenever Darcy and Rogue visited him during free periods at school. His eyes were locked on Rogue’s bent form and Darcy knew with a small sense of petty vindictiveness that at least she wasn’t the only one in the doghouse.

Jamie’s sudden grip on her upper arm distracted Darcy from her thoughts and pulled her back to the reality wherein her own troubles had only just begun and she meekly let herself be led toward the familiar car parked behind Logan’s truck.

As they came closer, Darcy mutely watched Logan take her place next to Rogue. He looked like he didn’t know whether to growl at her or rub her back as she continued trying to upend her stomach with miserable sounding groans.

Before Darcy could look any further, Jamie’s grip turned into a slight push and next thing she knew, Darcy was inside the vehicle and on her way home to the Tower.

The Tower immediately brought her dad to the forefront of her mind and Darcy winced. The tension in the car was higher than anything she’d ever experienced between her and Jamie before, and the slight dizziness that stubbornly remained in her system didn’t make her interest in speaking any bigger, but she really needed one question answered before they arrived home.

“So,” the Stark heiress began, taking great care to enunciate her words and not letting her slurring voice betray her, “from a scale to one to one hundred; how mad is Dad?”

Jamie’s hands clenched on the steering wheel. The left hand left a dent and the right one was white knuckled, showing off his state of mind. Darcy swallowed a lump of nerves and tried building up the courage to ask again when at last the man replied, his tone gruff and nowhere near as fond as it usually was.

“Count yourself lucky that Pepper of all people called for some emergency meeting five minutes after FRIDAY revealed how you’d lied to him. Someone from the UN or something needed to talk to him and no amount of deflection could get him out of it so he sent me to deal with you.”

Some part of Darcy wanted to ask more about Pepper, whom she had basically had no contact with after the older woman broke things off with her father. The former girlfriend of Tony Stark seldom made contact these days; she’d finally stopped trying with Darcy except for special occasions.

It took a little effort, especially since the alcohol made thinking pretty difficult to be honest, but Darcy decided to focus on the more important thing that Jamie had said.

“FRIDAY told you?” She asked and added with a frown, “How’d that even ping on her radar?”

Jamie scoffed, his anger seemingly turning up a notch at the question.

“Apparently, you need to make sure your “ _friends_ ”, the word practically dripped with scorn, “don’t have access to their social media, ‘cause someone’s Instagram was suddenly full of pictures of you engaging in underage drinking and sex on the dancefloor. According to FRIDAY, Perez and TMZ have already made sure it’s been viewed by a boatload of people.”

Darcy  wanted to scream, knowing from experience with her father’s paparazzi followers that nothing good came from such media attention, but the alcohol in her system was finally beginning to wear her down and she simply sighed heavily and rested her head on the dashboard in front of her in an attempt to quell the continuing dizziness.

Jamie didn’t speak again until they’d parked the car and entered the private elevator in the Tower, his grip on her firm yet gentle when it became clear that she didn’t handle getting back out into the cold air very well. Her wooziness had evolved into a stumble that made it hard for Darcy to walk properly.

FRIDAY silently opened any door in the duo’s path and Darcy spared a thought for JARVIS, knowing that his silence, unlike his successor, would’ve screamed with disapproval and disappointment over her evening’s life choices. The thought of her A.I. brother sent a jolt of sorrow and determination through Darcy when she momentarily remembered what she'd spent so many hours on lately when not in school or spending time with her dad. It didn't last long before Darcy's current state made it impossible to think complicated thoughts and she was forced to use all her concentration on walking in a straight line instead. 

Eventually, they reached Darcy’s room and Jamie led her to the bathroom. He gestured mutely toward the bathtub, but elaborated when her intoxicated mind didn’t quite catch his meaning immediately.

“Go wash tonight off of you, you stink of booze and vomit. Don’t want Stark to smell that tomorrow when he comes home to berate you himself.”

Cringing, Darcy hurried to do as ordered. In her haste to comply coupled with her inebriation, the young woman failed to realize she’d begun undressing in front of her very male friend. Jamie immediately turned and left the bedroom with something akin to a squeak leaving his lips and a blush painting his cheeks red.

Darcy didn’t notice and finished her bath quickly, scrubbing her skin thoroughly and tried fighting off the increasing sleepiness that she was feeling with each passing minute.

Fifteen minutes later, Darcy was in her very comfortable bed and Jamie had rejoined her as she struggled inelegantly to beat her fluffy pillow into submission.

At long last, she deemed it good enough and lay down fully, while Jamie just watched on quietly with a mixture of amusement and annoyance in his eyes.

Feeling like she needed to apologize to him for having basically ruined his evening, and with Rogue’s earlier words still ringing rather spectacularly in her foggy mind, Darcy opened her mouth to do just that.

“Uhm, I’m sorry I’m so difficult,” she murmured sleepily, snuggling down into her covers with a sigh before she continued, “it’s not fair of me to expect you to spend your rare free time on me. I didn’t plan for things to get so out of hand. I’m sorry I’m such a bother, Jamie…”

The expression that flashed across her friend’s face was odd and in her current state, Darcy couldn’t muster up enough brain cells to decipher it.

Then he spoke and all thoughts of even trying to puzzle it out flew from the brunette’s mind.

“Darcy Maria Lewis-Stark, you could _never_ be a bother to me.”

Darcy bit her lip with a sense of bashfulness that she’d rarely experienced in her life. Then her natural bluntness took over and she felt the need to point something important out.

“You were so mad though. It didn’t seem at all like you weren’t _bothered_ by having to come and fetch me.”

Jamie sighed and ran his metallic hand through his loose hair. He clearly didn’t feel comfortable talking about feelings or anything of that nature and Darcy felt a stab of guilt for making him do so. Not enough to stop though.

“Darce,” Jamie finally said in his quiet hoarse voice, “I was more worried than anything else. Frat parties aren’t a place for two young girls to be. And…Well, don’t you know I’ll always come for you when you need me, no matter what?”

The way Jamie’s words made her emotions soar, caused Darcy to react before she really thought things through. So full of gratitude and adoration for her solemn friend was the young heiress that she’d abruptly sat up and enveloped him in her arms before she’d even considered what to do.

“I’ll _always_ come for you too, James Buchanan Barnes.” Darcy whispered in his ear, vaguely noticing that a shudder ran through his strong frame at her words. She added softly, pulling back a little to look into his widened eyes. “Aside from my dad, Jamie, you’re the _most_ important person in my life. I don’t even care that you’re getting paid to spend time with me, I’m just happy you’re always by my side, you know…”

Darcy didn’t give the frozen man time to react before her natural impulsiveness once again reared its head. She licked her lips once and then leaned forward and placed her lips on top of Jamie’s. She had just enough mental capacity left to marvel over the softness of his usually so chapped-looking lips before the alcohol in her body finally overcame her and she fell back into bed, dead to the world and the man staring wide-eyed down at her.

Unbeknownst to the near comatose Stark, her best friend and bodyguard spent the rest of the night staring down at her with a slowly dawning realization mixed with pure horror on his face that she’d probably have kicked herself for missing.

**0o0o0**

**TBC…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *peeks out nervously from behind Captain America's stolen shield*   
> I really hope you liked it...or that I've even still got some readers left.   
> That said, I'd be willing to take prompts from you as penance, unless they coinside with my own plans for the story of course ;)   
> Anyway, remember all the grammar issues are due to my being Scandinavian and not English in any way shape or form.   
> Thanks for reading!!! And if possible commenting to assure me I haven't lost you all just yet... *whimpers pathetically with nerves*

**Author's Note:**

> So no smoochies (this time) - come on, when do I ever make it so easy peasy?  
> That said, I need to clarify that in case it wasn't obvious, I intent to use some of the movie storylines both from Avengers etc. but also the X-men. In this story, the third X-men movie didn't happen quite like that. No one is dead and that's about it really.  
> Now, please have patience as I'm still convalescing after my accident and have another story going that I reaally want to finish too.  
> Thanks for stopping by and sorry for the massive notes.


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